VACCUM CLEANER WITH REMOVABLE DUST COLLECTOR, AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20090178231A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jin young, Ha, Gun Ho, Yun, Chang Ho, Hyun, Kie Tak, Jeong, Kyeong Seon, Son, Young Bok, Kim, Jae Kyum, Lee, Sung Hwa, Hwang, Man Tae, Yang, Hae Seock, Park, Yun Hee, Park, Min, Kim, Il Joong, Yoo, Myung Sig, Shin, Jin Hyouk, Choo, Jong Su, Jeong, Hoi Kil, Ko, Moo Hyun, Seo, Jin Wook, Lee, Chang Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,240,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 9/3082 with compression means other than rams performing a rectilinear movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a dust collector that compresses dust stored inside a dust container to minimize the volume of the dust. The dust collector would include one or more pressing plates that are used to compress the dust stored in dust collector. Various methods are used to control movements of the movable pressing plates to facilitate the compression operations. Also, various methods are used to determine when the dust collector is full and needs to be emptied.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a dust container including a dust storage portion that stores dust;

a first press member that compresses the dust stored in the dust storage portion; and

a second press member provided within the dust container that interacts with the first pressing member to decrease a volume of the dust stored in the dust storage portion, wherein the first press member bidirectionally rotates to compress dust at both sides of the second press member.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a stationary shaft is provided in the dust container, and wherein a cavity is formed within the stationary shaft in an axial direction, the cavity being configured to receive a portion of the first press member.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the stationary shaft is disposed on a same axis as a rotating shaft of the first press member.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first press member includes a rotating shaft, and wherein a cavity is formed in the dust container and a predetermined portion of the rotating shaft is inserted into the cavity.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the rotating shaft extends substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the dust container.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein compressed dust is stored adjacent both sides of the second press member.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the rotating shaft has at least two different widths along an axial direction.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the rotating shaft comprises an upper shaft portion and a lower shaft portion having the two different widths, respectively, and wherein the lower shaft portion is coupled to the dust container.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first press member is rotated automatically by a driving apparatus.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the driving device comprises:

a driving motor that generates a driving force; and

a driving mechanism comprising at least one gear that transfers the driving force of the driving motor to the first press member.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the driving mechanism comprises:

a driven gear coupled to the first press member; and

a driving gear that selectively engages with the driven gear so as to transfer the driving force from the driving motor to the driven gear.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the driven gear is coupled to a lower shaft portion of a rotating shaft of the first press member.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the driven gear is coupled to the first press member from outside of the dust container.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, further comprising a main body to which the dust container is detachably coupled, wherein at least the driving motor and the driving gear are provided in the main body.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the driving device is disposed adjacent a floor cover of the dust container.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust container is disposed below a dust separator of the vacuum cleaner on a main body of the vacuum cleaner.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein a case of the dust container is similar in shape to a case of the dust separator.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the dust container and the dust separator are both detachably mounted to the main body of the vacuum cleaner.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the dust separator is separate from the dust container.

20. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a dust container including a dust storage portion that stores dust;

a first plate provided in the dust storage portion; and

a second plate provided in the dust container, the second plate having first and second sides, wherein the first plate bidirectionally moves to compress dust at both of the first and second sides of the second plate.

21. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 20, wherein a stationary shaft is provided in the dust container, and wherein a cavity is formed within the stationary shaft in an axial direction, the cavity being configured to receive a portion of the first plate.

22. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 21, wherein the stationary shaft is disposed on a same axis as a rotating shaft of the first plate.

23. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 20, wherein the first plate includes a rotating shaft, and wherein a cavity is formed in the dust container and a predetermined portion of the rotating shaft is inserted into the cavity.

24. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 23, wherein the rotating shaft extends substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the dust container.

25. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 23, wherein compressed dust is stored adjacent both of the first and second sides of the second plate.

26. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 23, wherein the rotating shaft has at least two different widths along an axial direction.

27. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 26, wherein the rotating shaft comprises an upper shaft portion and a lower shaft portion having the two different widths, respectively, and wherein the lower shaft portion is coupled to the dust container.

28. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 20, wherein the first plate is rotated automatically by a driving apparatus.

29. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 28, wherein the driving device comprises:

a driving motor that generates a driving force; and

a driving mechanism comprising at least one gear that transfers the driving force of the driving motor to the first plate.

30. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 29, wherein the driving mechanism comprises:

a driven gear coupled to the first plate; and

a driving gear that selectively engages with the driven gear so as to transfer the driving force from the driving motor to the driven gear.

31. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 30, wherein the driven gear is coupled to a lower shaft portion of a rotating shaft of the first plate.

32. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 30, wherein the driven gear is coupled to the first plate from outside of the dust container.

33. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 30, further comprising a main body to which the dust container is detachably coupled, wherein at least the driving motor and the driving gear are provided in the main body.

34. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 20, wherein the driving device is disposed adjacent a floor cover of the dust container.

35. The vacuum cleaner of claim 20, wherein the dust container is disposed below a dust separator of the vacuum cleaner on a main body of the vacuum cleaner.

36. The vacuum cleaner of claim 35, wherein a case of the dust container is similar in shape to a case of the dust separator.

37. The vacuum cleaner of claim 35, wherein the dust container and the dust separator are both detachably mounted to the main body of the vacuum cleaner.

38. The vacuum cleaner of claim 35, wherein the dust separator is separate from the dust container.

39. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a dust container including a dust storage portion that stores dust;

a first plate provided in the dust storage portion; and

a second plated provided in the dust container, wherein a rotational shaft of the first plate is disposed adjacent one end of the second plate and the first plate bidirectionally rotates.